Part 14 (1/2)
The black eyes opened, the dark head moved on the pillow, and the familiar, beloved smile infused the sharp-featured face with beauty
”Hullo, denubia,” he said, swinging his long legs over the edge of the bed and sitting up ”What's amiss?”
Er Tho with the after-effect of the scan
”How,” he deet here?”
”Oh, there's nothing to that[” Daav told him ”I can show you the trick, if you like” He tipped his dark head, lad to see me, beast, or I shall be inconsolable”
”Yes, very likely,” Er Thohed and threw his ar for you extremely,”
”Well, there's a proper welco hi, cheek to cheek, arms each about the other Er Thoet here?”
”To the Passage you mean?” He moved his shoulders ”I cast myself at the feet of an elder scout, as bound for this quadrant” Mischief glinted again ”Surely you don't think I walked?”
”But, the Acadeht almost too horrible to contemplate ”You haven't-they never rusticated, you?””Rusticated ed, which of course proved nothing ”Certainly they did not rusticate me! Of all the notions! I suppose you've never heard of ter the reluht of it,” he confessed ”But, surely, ouronly that I find my oay out and back and that I arrive early to my first class at break-end” Suddenly, Daav stretched, and put a hand on his lean middle ”What's the nearest hour for a ry”
Well, and that was no surprise Er Thohed and tried to look stern
”As it happens, I'm scheduled for dinner this hour Perhaps I can convince the cook to give you a few dry crackers and a glass of water”
”A feast!” Daav proclai them both toward the door ”Come, let us test your powers of persuasion!”
”TOOK YOUR LICENSE?” Daav stared, soup spoon halfway to his mouth It was his second plate of soup The first had vanished with an alacrity unusual even by Daav's standards, and Er Thoenerous with rations ”Pray, what profit co your license?”
Er Thom moved his shoulders and looked down at his plate He had made some inroads into his ownhis duty to stay healthy
”Master ven'Ducci feelsis provisional second,” he told his plate ”Oneunderstands
hi a full second class isinterfering with one's studies”
”Rot,” Daav said comprehensively ”Does he think you're to finish at second class? We're both for -unless you believe ourless?”
”No, of course not,” Er Tho her sons exactly what she expected them to accomplish on behalf of clan and kin, and neither Er Tho her
Daav had another sip of soup ”Do you fly live?”
”Live?” Er Thoe”
”A second class pilot, practicing at a dummy board?” Daav demanded ”What nonsense!”
”Oh, I suppose you practice live!” Er Tho
”Of course I do,” his brother answered, with a surprising lack of heat ”It's required”
”In fact,” he said after sing the last bit of soup, ”I sat second board to the elder scout on the trip out I don't doubt but I'll make the same trade with another pilot for the ride back” He lifted his eyebrows, from which Er Thom deduced that he had allowed his astonishment to show
”Surely you can't think that the ever-amiable Lieutenant tel'Iquin would lift extra mass where there was no profit to herself?””As I have not had the pleasure of the Lieutenant's acquaintance-” Er Thoan, and broke off as a shadow fell across the table between them
”So,” said Captain Petrella yos'Galan, and there was a hard shi+ne in her blue eyes that Er Thom had learned meant the entire opposite of his foster-mother's twinkle ”Nepheell I had a bea ister your presence with the Captain?” She inclined her head, in mock courtesy ”Or perhaps you believe the shi+p will feed you for free?”
”Aunt Petrella, my mother sends her love,” Daav said with a calret that the desire to seemy bow to the Captain” He s suest e”
”You relieve e is-?”
”I have ten Standard Days for the shi+p,” Daav said ”At Venture I will barter for a lift back to Liad”
”And your rees to this” She raised a hand ”No, do not speak I have her beam My sister assures me that she reposes faith in both your abilities and in your oath to be early to the first class of the new term The matter is outside my authority Within my authority, however ” She frowned down at them both
”Er Thoned duties, which do not disappear because you have chosen to appear”
Daav inclined his head ”Nor areed that I shall work e”
Petrella's lips bent in her pale smile ”So we have At ork are you able, nephew?”
”I o ht also be put to use in theand had a sip of tea before slanting a quick, black glance at Er Tho back to the Captain ”I can help ”
Er Tho? Now, there was turnabout! He felt a glare building, then ree and subsided, eyes stinging Happily, neither his brother nor his mother seemed to have noticed his near display
”Oh?” Petrella said, with the ironic courtesy that characterized so much of her discourse with her son
”Last I had heard, you held a second class provisional”
”I now hold a first class provisional,” Daav said, with a reht tihtened, ”by sitting second board to Scout pilots in trade for transport”
Petrella frowned down at hian, ”Master ven'Ducci,” Daav interrupted, against best health, ”is an idiot Come, aunt! Who ties a second class to a dummy board?”
Both of her eyebrows rose and Er Tho scolds to fall upon Daav's heedless head”So, we agree again,” Petrellaless of irony and somewhat more of courtesy in her voice ”You will be pleased to learn then, both of you, that Master ven'Ducci has been Instructed to use the Captain's Shuttle for future piloting lessons, beginning tomorroill see to it that your schedules coincide for that lesson, and then-we shall see” She fixed Daav in her eye ”If I hear aught of mayhem from the master pilot, you will find yourself early indeed for first class, young Daav Do I make myself sufficiently plain?”
Respectfully, he inclined his head, but Er Tho in hed ”Apply to the first arb-your brother will show you the way Your work schedule will be on your screen toaze shi+fted ”My son”